Family Trip at Eden Nature Park

Photo by my sister Jamie

When I was young, we always had family outings with cousins to the beaches. Because we lived just a few kilometers away from two of the most popular beach resorts** in Davao City in the 80s, we just walked. We would start early in the morning and pass by rows of tall coconut trees. Our humble breakfast by the sea consisted of canned sardines in tomato sauce paired with loaves of bread.

By the time I reached high school, these trips eventually stopped happening. The beaches near home became more polluted and were replaced by the white sands of Samal Island. Our family of five only had opportunities to visit beaches and resorts on reunions or other important events. We've never had a family vacation with just the five of us, ever --- until this August.

It was the Sunday after all of us got fully vaccinated. I booked a day trip to Eden Nature Park & Resort, an 80-hectare mountain resort in Toril, where I wanted to film my walk. I was expecting a sunny day because the first half of the week was clear and hot until it rained hard three days before our scheduled visit. It stayed cloudy with some showers till the end of the week. Thankfully, it didn't rain while we were at the resort. Instead, we were greeted by a lot of fog.

My father always expressed interest in fishing so, I chose Eden's consumable Fishing Village Package. He caught four tilapias and had them deep-fried. Meanwhile, my siblings and I had our walk through the park. We took the long and ascending road to one of the sights, which, I found out later, can be reached by a shortcut. My mom only rested thru the day and walked about just a little because of her knee pain. But when she thanked me, it made my day! Next time, I will look for a place with flatter terrain.

**Both Times and Bonguyan Beaches are now blocked by the new coastal road.

Kadayawan Walk

Two days ago, I filmed a walking video around Magsaysay Park. I specially waited for this time of the year because of the Kadayawan Festival, when the tribes of Davao would build their houses inside the park --- called the Kadayawan Village. Thankfully it didn't rain the night before; the day was bright and the dirt tracks were dry.

This year's Kadayawan is noticeably different. The whole month is full of activities from different groups and sectors, including the usual trade fairs and bazaars inside malls and at the Davao Convention Center, food fests at Damosa and mall parking areas, concerts, cultural shows, exhibits, art, fashion, dance and sports events. You'd only have to look at the festival's official Facebook page to see what I mean. Last Monday, there was a free Taiwanese Cuisine Cooking Demonstration at the Grand Men Seng Hotel organized by Davao's Chinese Community, and yep, it's still a Kadayawan event.

Another thing that's different is the schedule of the two well-known parades. While before they were held on two consecutive days (Saturday and Sunday), this year the Indak-indak sa Kadalanan will be tomorrow, Saturday August 17, 2019, and the Pamulak or the Floral Float Parade will be on the next Saturday, August 24, 2019.

As for me, hopefully I could have some time to visit the remaining events. Happy Kadayawan!

Quiet Tours Youtube Channel

Some of my favorite TV shows to watch are related to travel. There is always something relaxing about travelling videos. Back then, when it was still shown locally, I closely followed the Amazing Race and discussed passionately with my classmates. But what really gives me great satisfaction is a handheld walking or guided tour, with or without talking. These kind of videos give me goosebumps on the head --- if you know ASMR, then you know what I mean.

With the rise of YouTube, I have found several kindred channels and have benefited from them especially on chaotic times. I've decided that if ever I make a YT channel, this will be the first one on the list. So this year, three days after purchasing a GoPro, I filmed my walk to Shrine Hills where I attended a recollection, then uploaded it to Quiet Tours.



In a way, this might be a hobby that will make me go out more since I work from home; and walking would be my exercise. Aside from that, it will also be one way to document the places in and around Davao City. And lastly, I would be forced to learn video editing.

Currently I am working on my second walk --- around Victoria Plaza, the first mall in Davao City, and was recently acquired/managed by NCCC.

Please visit my YouTube channel Quiet Tours, and subscribe for future videos.

Merry Christmas from Hogwarts

This Christmas I am listening to this animated Hogwarts Great Hall Christmas ambience. It was made by Claire, one of the many ASMR artists creating videos in Youtube for relaxation.

If you've never heard of it, ASMR stands for Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response, a tingling sensation that typically starts on the scalp then moves down the back. Not all people experience this though, and in my family I'm the only one who does.

I've first watched videos like this around summer 2014, but the feeling described as ASMR I have been aware of since I was a child. I had this doctor toy set back then, but all I ever wanted to play was the patient. In high school, when we had our annual retreat, the teachers walked around to pray over the students one by one. It was very quiet and all I can hear were footsteps and whispers. When my adviser hovered her hands over my head and started whispering, it was like shivers down my spine.

These activities usually relax me or tickle my brain: doctor's check-up, haircut especially blow dryers, someone applying make-up on me or others (remember the Ricky Reyes show?), massage, some cooking shows, and guided video tours.

A lot of people, however, think this is weird. But for the main purpose of relaxation and from what I have read in video comments (though still not scientifically proven), it helps people relax and sleep.

So, are you one of the weird bunch? If you want to try it, here are my absolute favorite channels:

Emma of Whispersred ASMR
Maria of GentleWhispering
Deep Ocean of Sounds
Matt of ASMattR

Or if you're looking for an excellent guided meditation channel:
The Honest Guys

May you have a very relaxing Christmas!

Meet the newest members of the family

Our cat was unsuccessful with her first two litters. All died just a day after giving birth. This time though, she gave birth someplace else and brought home her kittens just last month. We think it's because they're old enough to eat solid food.

I'm proud to say that she's taking great care of them, not letting them out of her sight. The kittens used to only stay at the back of the house. But now that they're more active, they've expanded their playground and reached the front of the house and out in the street. This makes the mother a little apprehensive that she follows and carries them back inside.

She also developed a mother's courage when before most cats in the neighborhood frightened her. She even fights off this little neighbor's dog that keeps going inside our yard. :)

Stuntmon - my first video :)

Starring my brother's jigglypuff, my sister and I made this little video last May. There were several takes because little jiggly kept missing the pillow. ^__^ This was the last take, then we decided to stop. I now really admire professional cameramen for their skills in adjusting lenses manually. I had a hard time keeping the focus consistent...